---
title: Overview
description: Understand the architecture and concepts of Solana Attestations
---

Solana Attestations provides a comprehensive framework for creating, managing,
and verifying attestations on the Solana blockchain. This system enables
developers to build trust-based applications with verifiable claims about
accounts, tokens, and other on-chain entities.

## Architecture

The attestation system is built on three core components that work together to
provide a flexible and secure framework:

### 1. Credentials

Credentials represent attestation authorities and define who can issue
attestations. They contain:

- An authority that controls the credential
- A list of authorized signers who can create attestations
- A name for identification purposes

### 2. Schemas

Schemas define the structure and validation rules for attestations. They
specify:

- The data fields that attestations must contain
- The data types for each field
- Associated credential that can use this schema
- Version information for schema evolution

### 3. Attestations

Attestations are the actual verifiable claims that contain:

- The attested data conforming to a schema
- References to the credential and schema used
- Expiration timestamp for validity
- Unique identifier (nonce)
- Associated token account (optional)

## Data Flow

```
Authority → Creates Credential → Defines Schema → Authorized Signers → Issue Attestations
```

1. **Authority Setup**: An authority creates a credential and specifies
   authorized signers
2. **Schema Definition**: The authority creates schemas that define attestation
   structure
3. **Attestation Issuance**: Authorized signers create attestations following
   schema rules
4. **Verification**: Anyone can fetch and verify attestations on-chain

## Key Features

### Flexible Schema System

- Define custom data structures for different attestation types
- Support for various data types (strings, integers, booleans, arrays)
- Schema versioning for backwards compatibility
- Pause/unpause schemas as needed

### Authority Management

- Hierarchical authority structure with credential authorities
- Multiple authorized signers per credential
- Dynamic signer management (add/remove signers)
- Clear separation of concerns

### Token Integration

- Link attestations to specific token accounts
- Enable token-specific claims and verifications
- Support for both regular and tokenized attestations
- Integration with Solana's token standards

### On-Chain Verification

- All attestations stored on Solana for transparency
- Cryptographic verification of attestation authenticity
- Expiration handling for time-sensitive claims
- Immutable audit trail

## Security Model

### Trust Assumptions

- Trust is placed in credential authorities and their authorized signers
- Schema definitions are trusted to correctly validate data
- The Solana blockchain provides the security foundation

### Access Control

- Only authorized signers can create attestations under a credential
- Only credential authorities can modify signer lists
- Schema modifications require authority approval
- Attestation closure restricted to signers or authorities

### Data Integrity

- All attestation data is cryptographically signed
- Schema validation ensures data conforms to expected structure
- Expiration timestamps prevent stale claims
- Immutable on-chain storage prevents tampering

## Use Case Patterns

### Identity and KYC

```
Credential: "Identity Verifier"
Schema: ["fullName", "dateOfBirth", "nationality", "verificationLevel"]
Attestation: User's verified identity information
```

### Reputation Systems

```
Credential: "Reputation Authority"
Schema: ["score", "category", "period", "evidence"]
Attestation: User's reputation score for specific time period
```

### Professional Certifications

```
Credential: "Certification Body"
Schema: ["certificationType", "issueDate", "expiryDate", "grade"]
Attestation: Professional certification with validity period
```

### Compliance Verification

```
Credential: "Compliance Auditor"
Schema: ["complianceType", "status", "auditDate", "riskLevel"]
Attestation: Compliance status for regulatory requirements
```

## Integration Patterns

### Wallet Integration

Applications can integrate attestation verification into wallet interfaces to
show verified claims about users or tokens.

### DeFi Protocols

DeFi protocols can require specific attestations before allowing participation,
enabling compliant and trust-based financial services.

### NFT Marketplaces

Marketplaces can verify authenticity and provenance of NFTs through attestations
from trusted authorities.

### Gaming Platforms

Games can use attestations for achievement verification, anti-cheat measures,
and player reputation systems.

## Performance Considerations

### On-Chain Storage

- Attestation data is stored directly on-chain
- Consider data size when designing schemas
- Use efficient encoding for large datasets

### Transaction Costs

- Each attestation creation requires a transaction fee
- Bulk operations can reduce per-attestation costs
- Consider batching for high-volume use cases

### Scalability

- System scales with Solana's transaction throughput
- Multiple credentials can operate independently
- Schema design impacts query performance

## Next Steps

- **[Quick Start](quickstart)** - Get hands-on with creating attestations